As you compete and gain more experience, you may want to qualify to enter into more advanced stakes. Competitors taking part in any Kennel Club licensed event must familiarise themselves with the Working Trial and Bloodhound Trial Regulations beforehand (regulation amendments as of 1 January can be found in the back of this booklet). Find out more about progressing in working trials below.
How to progress in working trials
Qualification in working trials is obtained by achieving sufficient marks in each group of exercises and also at least 80% of the available marks overall for the stake in which you are competing. You will initially enter each stake at an open trial level; if you are successful, this can qualify you to enter the same stake at a championship trial.
From the first stake, companion dog (CD) or open utility dog (UD), through championship utility dog (UD), open and championship working dog (WD), to open and championship patrol dog (PD) and working trials tracking dog (TD) at the very top. A dog is required to obtain 70% of the marks in each group of exercises and 80% of the overall total marks in order to qualify and thereby progress upwards to the next stake.
How do I gain an Excellent Award?
When your dog gains a qualifying mark of at least 70% in each group of exercises, and at least 80% overall at a championship working trial, it is entitled to use the title 'Excellent' after the qualification, e.g. UD Ex., WD Ex. or TD Ex. The titles TD Ex. and PD Ex. are automatically added to the dog's record by The Kennel Club on receipt of the trial's marked catalogue.
To apply to add other Ex. awards to a dog's record, a copy of the relevant qualification certificate should be sent to the awards team at The Kennel Club, 10 Clarges Street, Piccadilly, London W1J 8AB.
Am I eligible for the working trial stakes?
How does my dog become a Working Trials Champion?
The highest accolade in working trials is the title of Working Trial Champion (WT Ch), which is awarded to a dog that has won two working trial certificates at a T.D. and/or P.D. championship trial (with an 'Excellent' qualification) under two different judges.
The winner of a Kennel Club working trial championship which has qualified 'Excellent' automatically gains the title of Working Trial Champion.
A dog that wins The Kennel Club working trials championship, qualifying Excellent will also gain the title of Working Trials Champion.
How can I get my dog's UD 'Excellent' title added to their record at The Kennel Club?
The 'Excellent' qualifications CD Ex., UD Ex. and WD Ex. can be added to a dog's record on application. A copy of the relevant qualification certificate should be sent to the awards section of the canine activities department at The Kennel Club, 10 Clarges Street, Piccadilly, London W1J 8AB.
The TD Ex. and PD Ex. titles will be automatically added to the dog's name when The Kennel Club receives the marked catalogue from the trial organisers.
The Kennel Club working trials championships
The Kennel Club sponsors the annual Kennel Club working trials championships, hosted by a different working trials society each year. The championships are the most prestigious of working trials events, featuring the most successful dogs from trials in the previous twelve months, and are the equivalent of the obedience and agility championships held each year at Crufts (the need for large tracts of suitable land makes it impractical to stage the working trials championships at Crufts itself).
The championships, usually held in the third weekend of October, are restricted to the two top level stakes, tracking dog (TD) and patrol dog (PD).
The 2024 Championships will be hosted by Essex Working Trials Society from 17-19 October 2024.
The base details are as follows: Danbury Park Farm, Main Road, Danbury, Essex, CM2 7RY.
Thursday will consist of nosework search and gun exercises for TD and on Friday these exercises will be for both TD and PD. Control and agility and patrol exercises will take place on Saturday for both stakes.
How do I qualify for the championships?
Competitors are invited to take part if they have won 1st place in a championship TD or PD stake with an 'Excellent' qualification during the previous qualifying year, from September to August. Dogs which have qualified in both stakes can compete in both PD and in TD.
The previous year's championship winners are also automatically invited provided they qualified Excellent at the previous year's championship.
How are judges nominated?
Judges for the championships are nominated by the Working Trials Liaison Council and selected following a ballot of representatives on the council, subject to approval by the activities committee and the board.
Can we watch the championships?
The championships are usually staged with a view to allowing some opportunity for spectators to observe the dogs working, even in the nosework rounds, and they offer an opportunity to appreciate some of the best handlers and dogs at work in this demanding discipline.
Competitors qualified for the 2023 Working Trial Championships - TD
| Date and trial | Dog and owner/handler |
| 31/08/2022 Scottish Working Trials Society |
Jummly Jooh Jackie Dykes |
| 19/09/2022 - 25/09/2022 ASPADS Working Trials Society |
Brearton Lexi Gary Haim |
| 26/09/2022 - 22/10/2022 New Forest Working Trials Club |
|
| 20/10/2022 - 22/10/2022 Hampshire Working Trials Society (KCCs) |
Glenalpine Ken |
| 09/11/2022 - 13/11/2022 ASPADS Working Trials Society |
|
| 14/11/2022 - 20/11/2022 Leamington Dog Training Club |
Bricklehampton Bess TDEx Mrs S A Haim |
| 21/11/2022 - 26/11/2022 Essex Working Trials Society |
Firetouch Second Time |
|
29/11/2022 - 04/12/2022 Scottish Kennel Club |
WTCh Brearton Lexi Gary Haim |
|
05/12/2022 - 11/12/2022 North East Counties Working Trials Society |
WTCh Glenalpine Fen TDEx P Herbert |
|
27/12/2022 - 31/12/2022 |
Bryn Some Lose Some Andy & Emma Baker |
|
14/02/2023 - 19/02/2023 ASPADS Working Trials Society |
WTCh Glenalpine Ken |
|
22/02/2023 - 26/02/2023 |
WTCh Glenalpine Makar |
|
27/02/2023 - 05/03/2023 Yorkshire Working Trials Society |
Glenalpine Ken Mr Gary & Mrs Julie Atkins |
|
07/03/2023 - 12/03/2023 Lincolnshire German Shepherd Dog & All Breeds Training Soc (LGSDAABTS) |
WTCh Glenalpine Makar Barry Gilbert |
|
22/03/2023 - 26/03/2023 East Anglian Working Trials Training Society |
Littleliss Rhynston Wren TDex J Lewis |
|
30/03/2023 - 01/04/2023 |
WTCh Brearton Lexi Gary Heim |
|
03/04/2023 - 09/04/2023 ASPADS Working Trials Society |
WTCh GLENALPINE KEN Mr Gary & Mrs Julie Atkins |
|
12/04/2023 - 16/04/2023 |
WTCh. Glenalpine Makar Barry Gilbert |
|
20/04/2023 - 24/04/2023 Surrey Dog Training Society |
Littlemiss Rhynston Wren |
|
19/06/2023 - 25/06/2023 Wessex Working Trials Club |
LookyLooky Life of Riley Dave Marchant |
|
31/07/2023 - 06/08/2023 |
ASPADS Working Trials Society |
|
21/08/2023 - 26/08/2023 |
WTCh Glenalpine Ken |
Competitors qualified for the 2023 Working Trial Championships - PD
| Date and trial | Dog and owner |
|
09/09/2022 - 11/09/2022 |
Falkenwald High Places Jo Quick |
|
20/10/2022 - 22/10/2022 Hampshire Working Trials Society (KCCs) |
Blade Of The Glade Dave Clark |
|
22/03/2023 - 26/03/2023 East Anglian Working Trials Training Society |
WTCh Xandoas Isa TDex PDex M Rogerson |
|
24/05/2023 - 28/05/2023 Southern Alsatian Training Society |
WTCh Blade of the Glade TDEx/PDEx David Clark |
|
15/07/2023 - 16/07/2023 |
WTCh Blade of the Glade TDEx/PDEx David Clark |
Results from 2023 Working Trial Championships TD Stake
1st - Andy and Emma Baker with Bryn Some Lose Some, CDEx-TDEx
2nd - Barry Gilbert with Wtch Glenalpine Makar, CDEX-TDEx
3rd - Gary and Julie Atkins with WTCh Glenalpine Ken, CDEx-TDEx
Results from 2023 Working Trial Championships PD Stake
1st - Jo Quick with WTCh Falkenwald High Places, CDEx-TDEx, PDEx
2nd - David Clark with WTCh Blade of the Glade, CDEx-TDEx, PDex. 274
Working Trials Liaison Council
What does the Working Trials Liaison Council do?
The Working Trials Liaison Council is made up of 18 representatives who are participants in working trials and two who take part in Bloodhound working trials.
The council acts as a channel of communication between The Kennel Club and those who compete in, judge and organise working trials and Bloodhound trials. The council was set up to represent grassroots opinion within these two related disciplines at The Kennel Club, and to promote a better understanding among competitors of how we function.
It reviews the regulations and advises The Kennel Club on any changes that may be needed, and is actively involved in strategic planning to enable working trials and Bloodhound trials to continue and flourish. Council proposals can result in fundamental changes in The Kennel Club's policy and we value the important work the councils do.
Becoming a liaison council representative
Representatives are elected for a period of three years and the current term of office of all The Kennel Club's Liaison Council representatives ends on 31 December 2024.
Representatives are elected by The Kennel Club's registered societies and clubs which hold championship working trials.
Working Trials Liaison Council minutes and agendas
30 July 2023
The next meeting of the Kennel Club Working Trials Liaison Council is scheduled to be held on Tuesday 30 January 2024. Proposals for inclusion on the agenda should reach the Working Trials Liaison Council Secretary by 5 November 2023.
Each eligible society may submit, through their representative, items for the agenda. Individuals may also submit items for the agenda direct to the Kennel Club. Proposals must be concise and, if an amendment or an additional regulation is proposed, the regulation number must be given.
All items for inclusion on the agenda should be sent by email.
18 July 2023
19 January 2023
7 June 2022
13 January 2022
6 July 2021
4 February 2021
Working Trials Liaison Council Representatives
| Name and email | Society | Phone number |
|---|---|---|
| Barry Gilbert | ASPADS Working Trials Society | |
| Duncan Robertson | Association of Bloodhound Breeders | |
|
Nick Sutcliffe
|
Bloodhound Club | |
| Charlie Taylor | British Association for German Shepherd Dogs | 07855950233 |
| Diane Ling | East Anglian Working Trials Training Society | 07973784861 |
| Penelope Bann | Essex Working Trials Society | 07979605966 |
| Jean Howells | Hampshire Working Trials Society | |
| sandra wright | Iceni Dog Training Club | |
| John Wykes | Leamington Dog Training Club | |
| June Hines | Lincolnshire German Shepherd Dog & All Breeds Training Society | |
|
Andy Laws
|
Midland Counties German Shepherd Dog Association | |
| Melvin Drewitt | New Forest Working Trials Society | |
| Jill Carruthers | North East Counties Working Trials Society | |
| Jennifer Holt | North West Working Trials Society |
07774972906 |
|
Lorna Cottier
|
Scottish Working Trials Society | |
| Lauren Marlow | Southern Alsatian Training Society | |
| Mark Lewindon | Surrey Dog Training Society | |
| John West | Wessex Working Trials Club | 07929127874 |
|
David Craven
|
Yorkshire Working Trials Society |
Next steps - judging
Once you have experience competing, and you've gained more confidence, you may set your sights on becoming a judge. Learn more about becoming a working trails judge.